Minutes

K.O.S. Editorial and Records Sub Committee

Meeting: 4 p.m. 10th September 2005 at Bromhey Farm

Present:- Barry Wright (in the chair), Gordon Allison, Geoff Burton, Martin Coath, Gary Howard, Richard Jenkinson, Ian Roberts, Don Taylor, and Jon Braggs.

1. Apologies for absence 

Received from

Tim Hodge, Nigel Jarman, Ken Lodge, Jack Chantler, Ian Hodgson, Robin Mace and Derek Tutt.

2.  Matters arising from Minutes of last meeting.

a) Regional Committees, feedback from BBRC. A few committees have passed comment on BBRC proposals, others are awaited.

 

b) BBRC records, feedback from BBRC. It is generally the duty of BBRC to report back to the submitter of the record, either the KOS as a forwarding body or the individual observer of a non-accepted record.

 

c) Biographies of E&R members – still progressing slowly.   

 

d) ‘Black’ Wheatear at Dungeness. The historical record of an unidentified ‘Black’ Wheatear will be included in the new Birds of Kent as an interesting record although its identity as to species is not proven.

 

e) KBR 2002 feedback. Generally good reports although timeliness is still an issue. The Rarity Panel will look at ‘old’ records of ‘Canada Geese’ to establish what subsp /species have been recorded in the county.!!           

3. Notification of BBRC decisions 

(See Rarity Decisions)     

4. BB Rarities

The following have been, or will be, forwarded to BBRC for consideration:

5. KOS Rarities

(See Rarity Decisions)

6.  Website.

The website is very popular with the number of hits increasing; there is now a counter indicating the position of popularity using stats from the Fatbirder website. Martin now has access to Pamela Harrison’s superb black and white photos of bygone days as well as Roy Coles’ equally superb pictures of old rarities in Kent.

7.  Newsletter.

Geoff is currently preparing an article on the occurrence of Black Guillemot in the county, and where our birds possibly originate? Barry will contact Geoff with some European contacts that may help to answer this query?

Possibly a response to the article on Windfarms? Is it worth publishing the KOS newsletter article wider as it was very informative?

8.  Kent Bird Report.

2003 – There is still potentially some room for some more articles for the KBR. Barry still needs to email Tim Inskipp for an article on the ‘Soft plumaged Petrel’ off Dungeness as a new bird for Britain and Kent! The front cover design has not been chosen yet though Audouin’s Gull would seem appropriate. There was also a need for any other budding artists in Kent to contribute to the KBR.

9.  Rarity Panel Member.

In 2006 Gordon and Gary will have completed five years on the rarity panel. Potential members are being sought but either Gary or Gordon will probably be asked to serve another year in order to maintain experience on the committee until replacement in 2007.

10.  A.O.B.

a) Siberian Chiffchaffs in Kent. The recent article in BB indicates that we may need to look at some of the older records of ‘tristis’ Chiffchaff in the county.

 

b) Future venues for E&R meetings. We are finding it increasingly difficult to find venues for hosting the meetings and various options were discussed.

 

c) Cut off dates for record input/gathering for KBR 2004. This needs to be tightened up in order that we can produce a more timely report.

 

d) Future KBR Editor? There will be a need for the KBR 2004 and beyond, for a new Editor with overall control of future KBRs, as Jon will be finishing his ‘stint’ with the production of KBR 2003.

 

 e) Future dates for KOS E&RSC meetings. With the advent of ‘some good birds in Kent’ in September and at other peak migration months, it was felt that we might have to look into possibly changing dates of the meetings. One possibility is to hold meetings in November, February, June, and August.

 

f) Rarities in Kent? Barry brought along lots of old record cards including such delights as ‘Lesser Golden Plovers’, Sooty Tern, King Eider, Moustached Warbler, Golden Eagle and Red-throated Pipit. These were looked at for posterity but some, such as Golden Eagle and King Eider, need to be looked at afresh. The King Eider off Shellness will need to go back to BBRC as it was pre 1958. Barry will contact Andrew Henderson regarding the Cliffe Moustached Warbler in order that an appropriate note can be put in the new Birds of Kent, as it is no longer an accepted record following a review of pre 1958 records by BBRC.

11.  Date and Venue of the next meeting.

The next scheduled meeting will be at 4pm on 13th November 2005.  Venue to be confirmed